| With the
Worthington Cup Final three weeks away, this is an
exciting time for Tottenham. It may actually result in
some silverware in the trophy cabinet after 8 barren
years. But Leicester should not be underestimated. they
have more recent Wembley final experience that Spurs and
although many of the Tottenham players are experienced in
other ways, the fact that the Foxes have been to Wembley
and know what to expect does give them a bit of an
advantage. This is not to say that Spurs do not have a
chance, because the side is much more resilient now and
on it's day could beat any team in the land. What they
must ensure is that they perform to the best of their
ability. The whole squad (virtually) seem to have
benefited from GG's arrival, with renewed vigour being
injected into the careers of Edinburgh, Vega, Sinton and
Walker. Most importantly and most obviously is the
tightening up of the back line. For all those sloppy
goals that have been conceded over the last few years,
now we see players throwing themselves in front of shots,
getting in front of the man with the ball and the
midfield unmercilessly hounding the living daylights out
of the opposition. The whole side functions so much
better as a unit. Only one factor needs to be addressed
and that is the propensity to give the ball to the other
side. Distribution and passing are still aspects of the
side's game which could be improved and should they be as
generous with the ball at Wembley, it could be an
essential factor in tiring the legs of the midfield as
they try to regain possession. Let us not forget, that at the time of
writing - thanks to the Yorkshire snow - Tottenham are
still in the FA Cup. With the Barnsley tie rearranged, we
are in the semi-final draw and the prospect of a match
against one of the top three clubs in the country. There
will be the obvious comparisons with how far Tottenham
have come in such a short time since George Graham took
over and the stage the other sides have reached. But with
success comes more games, more pressure and more hard
work. The latter was something that Gross was criticised
for, but that alone is not a failing. Perhaps Christian
could not get the performances out of the side when he
was in charge and the basis of his squad was not as sound
as GG's, now he has begun to spend some of the kitty. Man
U, Chelsea and Arsenal are the sides which we have to
catch up to, if we are to seriously challenge for
honours. If it is possible to show players that the club
is on the right road, then it will be possible to attract
top world stars and young rising home based talent. There
is a long way to go to even reach this first step. We
have not yet beaten Barnsley and Leicester await at
Wembley.
Not only is it an exciting time to
be a Spurs fan - with some of the football the players
are producing and the cup runs - but it is a good time.
Remember the dour days of Francis' reign and the lack of
hope of winning anything more than a relegation battle
when Gross took over. Well, enjoy it while you can.
Hopefully it will be the first taste of what will be a
long-term session. But we have won nothing yet and I'm
sure that George will reiterate that to his players
before they go out at Wembley. Have a good day and let's
hope it is an even better night !!
MY EYES
HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART LANE
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART
LANE
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE CUPS AT WHITE HART
LANE
AND THE SPURS GO MARCHING ON !!!
BRUCE CASTLE
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